Machine for dealing playing-cards.



No. 842,808 PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

G. MURGH.

v MACHINE FOR DEALING PLAYING CARDS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 842,803. PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

G. MUROH.

MAOHINBFOR DEALING PLAYING CARDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wa'tnesaeav In venzorx UNITED STATES PALENT OFFICE.

' FMACHI'NE FOR DE'ALlNG-PLAYING-CARDS Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented i) an. 29, 1907;

Application filed March 22,1905. Serial No. 251,268.

i To all whom it may concern:

differin Be it known that I, GEORGE MURQH, a subject of Great Britain,residing at Capetown, Cape Colony, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvementin Machines for Dealing Playing-Cards, of which thefollowingis a specifieatiomreference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

The invention consists in a-machine which is cpnstructed andarranged todeal or deliver playing-cards or the like automatically at each of aseries of stations'in rotation-as, for instance, to each of a number ofplayers in turn-and which also is adapted to be adjusted to suit agreater or smaller number of delivery-stations or players, as may bedesired.

The invention is illustrated. in the drawings, in which latter Figure 1shows in isometric projection an embodiment of-the invention. Fig.-2-'shows the said embodiment in isometric projection from a point ofview from that of Fig. '1. Fig. 3 shows the car -holder detached and inclosed condition. Fig.. 4 shows the card-holder in partially-openedcondition.- Fig. 5 shows a friction' wheelor roll which may beemployed-in lieu of the toothed wheel that is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, ifdesired.

In the drawings the machine is furnished with a convenient base 16,Figs. 1 and 2,

which is a apted to rest upon a suitable support at the centeroftheseries of stations at which cards or the like are to be dealt ordelivered and which support may be the table upon which ,a game of cardsis to be played. To the top of the base 16 a plate 15 is secured. Posts14 14, &c., are attached to the said plate 15and risetherefrom. To theupper ends of the said posts a horizontal disk 6 1s affixed, and therebythe said disk 6 is su ported in a stationary position.- Above t estationary or fixed disk 6 a second disk (designated 2 in the drawings)is arranged. The disk 2 is mounted with capacity to turn or rotate in ahorizontal lane. The devices which more immediate y are concerned indealing or delivering the cards or the like successively are mountedupon the disk 2, and by turning or rotary movement of the said disk thedealing or delivering device are" carried around past the successivepoints at which the cards or the like areto be dealt or delivered. Forconvenience the disk 2 may be termed the dealer-carrier.

At 8 is an upright shaft arranged centrally with respect to the disks 2and 6, the said disk 2 beingfi-xedly connected With the said shaft 8.The lower. portion of the shaft. 8 below the disk 2 is fitted to asuitable bearing or bearings which are provided in connection with thefixed part of the machine and in which bearing or bearings the shaftturns. The upper ortion of the shaft 8 is furnished with a hand e 1 2for convenience in turning the same and'the disk 2.

, -U on the disk 2 is rovided a card-containmg box or card-hol er,comprisinga bottom 1, an upright back 1 at the rear end of the box orholder, and oppositely-located side portions 18 22, which are located atopposite sides of the rear portion of the box or card-holder adjacentthe said back 1. The box or card-holder 1 is mounted with capacity torise and sink. relative to the disk 2 and is guided in its rising andsinking movements by means of upright posts 7 7 the lower ends of whichare secured tothe disk 2 and the u 4 perends to the horizontalcross-bar; of a yo e 9, which is carried by, the saiddisk; The box orcard-holder is formed with holes extending upward through the back 1 andfit-' ting the said posts 7 7.- It rests'u on expanding spiral springs3, two of Whic encircle the posts 7 7, as shown in Fig. 2. By the.

expansion of the said springs the.box or cardder is pressed upward. Thecards which are to be dealt are. placed within the box or card-holderbetween the side portions 18 22 and with their rear ends ad acent theback 1.

At 4 is the dealing-roll. It is arranged above the card-holder 1 andextends across the latter, it being mounted upon a horizontal shaft '10,which is journaled in bearings .that respectively are provided in theupright shaft 8 and in' a stand 11, which is secured to the upper sideof thedisk 2 near the periphery of thesaid'disk. I

By means of the springs 3 3, &c., beneath the card-holder the to card ofthe pile of cards held by the cardolder is held pressed in firm contactwith the surface of the dealing-roll. Effective frictional engagement ofthe said dealing-roll and the said card is se- 1 ferent modes ofeifectin neath the dealing-roll, so as to increase or dias shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and the lower por 'tion of the wheel 5 projects throughthe slot.

In Fig. 5 a frictional wheel isshown, the said frictional wheel being asubstitute for the toothed wheel of Figs. 1 and 2, and when the same isused a corresponding frictionsurface is provided in connection with thefixed disk 6 for cooperation with such frictionwheel.

On turning or rotating the shaft 8 and the disk 2 by means of the handle12 the drivinggearing at 5 6 will act to turn the dealingroll, so as tocause the latter to push the top card forward off the pile and from thecardholder. The card-holder is so arranged upon the disk 2 that as thetop card is discharged from the card-holder by the action of the dealin.-roll' such card will fall beyond the edge 0% the disk 2for instance,onto the table on which the machine is placed.

The parts will be proportioned and adjusted to produce the proper ratiobetween the rotation of the dealing-roll and that of the dealer-carrier2to cause cards to be dealt or delivered at the predetermined number ofpoints in each rotation of the dealer-carrier 2- as, for instance, toeach of a number of players. The machine may be arranged to deal ordeliver from the dealer-carrier at two opposite points,

points, as when it is intended to deal to three players, or at four ormore points, as the case may require. Va'riationm the number of cardswhich are dealt or delivered in each revolution .of the dealer-carrieris provided for by simple adjustment. Among the difsuch variation is bythe cards relative to One mode of effecting this change in the relativeposition of the cards is by shifting or adjusting the box or card-holderin the direction of its length beohan in the position 0 the eaing-rollen' which the dealing-roll first en ages with the top card andthe rear ends of films cards. this chan e the number of rotations of thefeeding-r51 which is required to occur in order to effect delivery ofthe top card may be regulated. Consequently the ratio between the numberof rotations required to deliver one card and the entire number ofrotations overcome the tension of as when it is required to deal tobut-two players or at three prearrangedof the box or cardholder, so thatthe pressure of the topmost of the cards remaining in the box orcardholder against the dealer-roll is maintained to the last.

In lfiig's. 3 and 4 I have shown a construe tion which I contemplateemploying for convenience in introducing fresh cards into the box orcard-holder in position beneath the dealer-roll. Insuch figures the sideportion 18 is hinged at its lower edge at 17 17 to the bottom of the boxor card-holder. Normally the said sideportion is held in closed positionby the action of contracting spiral springs 23 23, having their oppositeextremities connected, respectively, with the hinged side portion 18and-the fixed side portion 22. At 191s a vertically-movablespring-supported plunger which is fitted to a guide-opening in the back1 of the box or card-holder, its upper end being outturned to form aconvenient thumbpiece by means of which to o erate the plunger. At 20 isa bent lever w 'ch is pivotallymounted upon the back 1*, the said bentlever being arranged to extend transversely with relation to the box orcard-holder and having the outer end thereof arranged to make contactwith the inner surface of the hinged side portion 18 and the inner endthereof in pin-and-slot engagement with' plunger 19. Pressure applied tothe upper end of the said plunger of sufficient force to the spring inconnecplunger will operate to depress the said plunger within itsguide-opening in back 1 until the limit of the independent movement ofthe plunger is reached. This independent movement of the plunger willoperate lever 20 to press the hinged side 18 outward from its closedposition shown in Fig. 3 to its opened position. (See Fig. 4.) The limitaforesaid having been reached continued pressure upon the plunger willforce the tion with the box or card-holder downward away from thedealer-roll. The tension of the supportingsprings 3 3, &c., for the boxor card-holder is considerably greater than the combined tension of thespring which supports the plunger 19 and the springs 23 23. Consequentlythe springs 3 3 will keep the box or card-holder By in its raisedposition until after the limit of the independent movement of theplunger with respect to the box or card-holder has been reached,

What is claimed as the invention is.-

1. In combination, a rotary dealer-carrier, a cardholder carriedthereby, and devices actuated through the rotation. of saiddealercarrier to deal or deliver cards or the like at predeterminedpoints in the said rotation.

2. In combination, the rotary dealer-car- 5 rier 2, the dealer-roll,means to rotate the said dealer-roll, a Iaterally-expansiblecard-support, a spring or springs in connection with said card-supportacting-to press the same toward the dealer-roll and means to expand tothe card-support and move the same away port and dealing device arerelatively separ'ated. h

4. In combination, adealing device, acard support having a movable side,means for v holding said side normally in closed position, meansto-yieldingly su port the said cards'upp'ort, a plunger ap ied to thesaid cardsupport and operative y connected with said 'm'ovableside,whereby. by pressure on the plunger the side may beopened andthecardsupport moved awayfrom the dealing device.

.1 5. In combination, a rbtary dealer-carrier,

a card-holder carried therebv, "a dealing device, and actuating means orsaid dealing device acting automatically to cause cards or .the. like tobe delivered at predetermined points in the rotation of the saiddealercarrier.

. i In testimony whereof I affix my; signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

I GEORGE MU ROH.

Witnesses:

C. FooT, D. ROBERTSON.

